High Level SRC Roadmap

High Level SRC Roadmap

The PERASPERA roadmap has been developed with a process schematised in (D3 4-PRSPR-ESA-T3 1-TN-D3 4-Master Plan of SRC activities-V1 8). The process was designed to:

1. Account for current and past work sponsored by the many European stakeholders (EC, ESA, National Agencies)
2. Consider the possibility offered by spin-in/spin-over allowed by similarity of needs in terrestrial robotics sectors (e.g. servicing robotics and in particular offshore robotics)
3. Assume the needs of European stakeholders

The first step of the process implemented the acquisition and organisation of the information documenting the three bullets above.

The SRC goal is to increase the maturity of space robotics technologies and demonstrate them in the 2023-2024 time framework with sizeable demonstration missions.

Therefore, for the second step of roadmapping, two system studies were carried out, for the orbital case and for the planetary case, in order to identify two sets of demonstration missions that could be possible end goals of the SRC.

Finally the last step has been to define the individual activities of technological maturation and validation/verification, select the priorities of implementation and integrate all in a synthetic plan (this) that would also consider the EC constraints for Calls in the SRC.

It is important to understand that the roadmap so produced is an initial one. The process of roadmapping, so far described, will be performed two more times in the course of the SRC duration.

Since the inception of PERASPERA it was clear that the roadmap had to be structured along three “tracks” of development:

• An orbital robotics track: aiming at the maturation of technologies for the specific subject and ending with the detailed definition of a demonstration mission (for the 2023-2024 framework)
• A planetary robotics track: aiming at the maturation of technologies for the specific subject and ending with the execution of large scale field tests
• A common building blocks track: that aims at the maturation of technologies usable for both planetary and orbital track.

End goals for the Orbital Robotics Track Roadmap

Elaboration of the status of the art, the needs of the stakeholders, the study of the possible demonstration within the Orbital Robotics Track has produced the following end-goals:

(OT-1) Active Debris Removal, which targets the final demonstration of re-orbiting of a small ESA-owned Earth Observation satellite. The demonstration mission that will be the final goal of the scenario will allow to showcase a number of robotics technologies to rendezvous with a highly uncooperative real debris (by 2023 the chosen satellite will be just that), capture it and insert it into a <25 years re-entry orbit. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated RV and grasping technologies and finally develop the demonstration mission in its last operational grant. This grant will need to have adequate funding for procuring the spacecraft hardware and the launch opportunity.

(OT-2) Future Low-cost EXchangeable/EXpandable/EXtendable SATellite (FLEXSAT), which targets the demonstration of robotics servicing technology aimed at achieving composable, re-configurable and refuel-able spacecraft. The demonstration mission, that is the final goal of the scenario, will feature a small satellite system that, through robotics technology, can deploy/reconfigure/extend itself, thus allowing the spacecraft mission to evolve. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated manipulation and assembly technologies and finally develop the demonstration mission in its last operational grant. This grant will need to have adequate funding for procuring the spacecraft hardware and the launch opportunity.

(OT-3) EUROBOT, which aims at demonstrating humanoid crew assistant robots to be employed on the International Space Station. EUROBOT is a concept studied by the Human Spaceflight and Microgravity directorate of ESA in order to drastically improve the efficiency of Extra Vehicular Activity on the ISS (and in future orbital infrastructure). EUROBOT is a humanoid robot that can climb along the outer surfaces of the ISS to reach operating sites and perform highly dextrous manipulation while being tele-operated from inside the ISS or from ground. The EUROBOT concept, besides offering benefits on the operation of orbital infrastructure, presents very promising spin-off potential for the off-shore and disaster relief robotics applications. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated tele-manipulation technologies and finally develop the demonstration mission in its last operational grant. This grant will need to have adequate funding in order to cover for the extensive safety provisions that are required to fly on the ISS.

End goals for the Planetary Robotics Track Roadmap

Elaboration of the status of the art, the needs of the stakeholders, the study of the possible demonstration within the Planetary Robotics Track has produced the following end-goals:

(PT-1) Martian Long-range Autonomous Scientist, which targets the demonstration of highly autonomous technologies that will allow future Martian rovers to roam across the vast extents of the Martian surface and return autonomously detected science, compatible with the limited energy and telecommunication budgets associated to Martian missions. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated autonomous navigation and science detection technologies and finally develop a demonstration field trial in its last operational grant.

(PT-2) Martian Cliff Explorer, which targets the demonstration of a master/scout rover couple for the scientific exploration of Martian gullies. Martian gullies are the place where puzzling Martian surface processes have been detected. The concept developed by this scenario will feature a comparatively large conventional rover that can deploy a very agile tethered scout rover that can rappel into the gully. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated agile locomotion and science detection technologies and finally develop a demonstration field trial in its last operational grant.

(PT-3) Martian Crossover Explorer, which targets the demonstration of a rover with high locomotion capabilities to enable the exploration of not easily accessible areas (and therefore increase the scientific return of the mission). These capabilities will have to be compatible with the limited energy and computing resources budgets associated to Martian missions. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated locomotion and navigation technologies and finally develop a demonstration field trial in its last operational grant.

(PT-4) Lunar Crater Explorer, which targets the demonstration of a master/scout rover couple for the scientific exploration of cold traps on the Moon and the collection of samples from these. The Lunar south pole is known to have accumulated unknown volatiles in the surface areas rarely illuminated by the sun (cold traps). The concept developed by this scenario will feature a comparatively large conventional rover that can deploy a very agile tethered scout rover able to rappel into the cold trap and collect soil samples from there. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated agile locomotion and sampling technologies and finally develop a demonstration field trial in its last operational grant.

(PT-5) Planetary Deep Driller, which targets the demonstration of autonomously accessing and sampling subsoil one order of magnitude deeper than present technology can. Drilling technology developed for ExoMars can reach and sample at 2 m of depth at most. This depth is the minimum requirement in order to reach possible signature of life not cancelled by radiation. In reality the deeper you sample the less is the cancellation by radiation. The concept developed by this scenario will feature a rover-mounted drill system that can drill and sample in the order of a few tens of meters. The scenario will use common building blocks, mature the dedicated deep drilling and sampling technologies (derived from the mining industry) and finally develop a demonstration field trial in its last operational grant.